Learn More about Erie Together?

Find out more information about the Erie Together initiative and see how you can become involved in creating a better community to work, learn and thrive.

Who Is Erie Together?

We all are. Everyone who lives or works in Erie county has a stake in the community. Erie Together is about breaking down barriers and bringing together our community to work differently than ever before. Individuals, organizations, businesses, and groups are working together in very strategic ways to prevent and reduce poverty, elevate prosperity, and make the Erie region a community of opportunity where everyone can learn, work and thrive.

The business, organizations, and groups in the Erie community use the desired outcomes to strategically align their work with the movement. This alignment creates consistency in our community and strengthens our foundation. The movement is about ALL of us thinking about what we can do to better our community.

Why Is Erie Together Important to Erie?

Erie County's poverty rate of 15.8 percent, and the city of Erie's rate of 25.7 percent, are still among the highest in the state, but both rates are down for the second straight year. This has a detrimental overall impact on the community’s quality of life and economic growth. The underlying philosophy of Erie Together is that poverty is a community issue requiring a comprehensive community-wide response inclusive of all sectors and residents.

Where are Action Teams located?

Countywide Action Teams span all of Erie County. Volunteers from across the county meet approximately every six weeks to continue the movement’s progress, and task teams within each Action Team also meet to further their work on specific priorities. A list of current action teams dates are listed on our Events Calendar or you can contact us for more information. Each of the four teams focuses on a specific issue relating to poverty.

What can I do to help?

There are a number of ways to get involved in the Erie Together movement.

Volunteer: Participate on a countywide action team. Meet with other concerned individuals to share your expertise and work together to create real change in our community. Click here for a list of meeting dates.

Alignment: Align your organization(s)’ goals with that of Erie Together. For examples of alignment click here.

Awareness: Help spread the word about the impact of poverty on our community and Erie Together’s work.

Resources: Check out our resources page and help distribute important information to parents, businesses, and others in our community.

Recent News

Our "Getting Ahead While Getting Out" self-sufficiency program needs adult mentors. Please contact GECAC's Teresa Swoger at tswoger@gecac.org for more information. The time commitment is minimal but the impact is huge!